Tips & advice to prevent ransomware from infecting your electronic devices

How to prevent ransomware from infecting your electronic devices

Ransomware is a type of malware that locks your computer and mobile devices or encrypts your electronic files, demanding a ransom payment through certain online payment methods (and by an established deadline) in order to regain control of your data.

It can be downloaded through fake application updates or by visiting compromised websites. It can also be delivered as email attachments in spam or dropped/downloaded via other malware (i.e. a Trojan). 

Do's

Update your software regularly Many malware infections are the result of criminals exploiting bugs in software (web browsers, operating systems, common tools, etc.). Keeping these up to date can help to keep your devices and files safe.
Use anti-virus software Install and keep anti-virus (AV) and firewall software updated on your devices. AV can help keep your computer free of the most common malware. Always check downloaded files with AV software. You can easily find many free options on the market.
Browse and download software only from trusted websites Use official sources and reliable websites to keep your software patched with the latest security releases. Always use the official version of software.
Regularly back up the data stored on your computer Full data backups will save you a lot of time and money when restoring your computer. Even if you are affected by Ransomware, you will still be able to access your personal files (pictures, contact lists, etc.) from another computer. There are a number of high quality data backup solutions available on the internet for free.

Don'ts

Click on attachments, banners and links without knowing their true origin What looks like a harmless advertisement or image can actually redirect you to the website from where the malicious software is downloaded. The same can happen when opening attachments in emails received from unknown sources.
Install mobile apps from unknown providers/sources Always download from official and trusted resources only. In the settings of your Android device, always keep the option "Unknown sources" disabled and the "Verify Apps" option checked.
Take anything for granted If a website warns you about obsolete software, drivers or codecs (programs that encode and decode your data) installed on your computer, do not fully trust it. It is really easy for criminals to fake company and software logos. A quick web search can tell you if your software is really out of date.
Install or run non-trusted or unknown software Do not install programs or applications on your computer if you do not know where they come from. Some pieces of malware install background programs that try to steal personal data — for more information on this, see our information sheet on Identity Theft.

Infected? What to do next

• Report it to your national police. The more information you give to the police, the more effectively they can disrupt the criminal infrastructure.
• Disconnect your device from the internet or other network connections (such as home Wi-Fi) as soon as possible in order to prevent the infection from spreading.
• Don’t pay the ransom. You will be financing criminals and encouraging them to continue their illegal activities.
• Format the hard drive of the infected device, reinstall the operating system and apps, run any available updates and restore the locked files from your back-up device.